From a watch inspired by a daring scientific mission in the arctic to one crafted from an ancestral stone forged in space, these new timepieces are remarkable technical feats and also works of art.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Sorayama Monobalancier
No stranger to boundary-breaking masterpieces and searching for inspiration in unexpected places, the third timepiece in Roger Dubuis’ Urban Culture Tribe series is a collaboration with world-famous Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama. The Excalibur Sorayama Monobalancier (MB) deliberately breaks the maison’s design codes, with the artist choosing to showcase hyper expressivity and sophistication through curvy lines and a full-shine finish—blurring the sharp design and contrasted finishes usually seen at Roger Dubuis.
Further cues are borrowed from Sorayama’s own iconic creations, such as the polished titanium finish that echoes his 3D sculptures. The micro-rotor is also designed to create a hypnotizing moiré optical illusion triggered by movements of the wearer’s wrist, producing a captivating and endless rippling effect.
While artistic, the Excalibur Sorayama MB is also technically impressive: housing an automatic calibre recently enhanced with a series of mechanical and aesthetic improvements. These include increasing the power reserve of the RD720SQ to 72 hours; optimising the micro-rotor to minimise vibrations; doubling the balance wheel inertia to improve stability; increasing efficiency and energy transmission through the use of a new lube; and improving the shape and construction of the escapement wheel.
It’s also the first Roger Dubuis watch to have a titanium grade 5 bracelet with Quick Release System for ease and versatility. Housed in a 42mm case crafted from titanium grade 5 as well, this exclusive artwork is limited to just 28 pieces.
Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
This special edition of H. Moser & Cie.’s Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton commemorates the Golden Jubilee of Cortina Watch, with “Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary Since 1972” inscribed on the sapphire crystal see-through case back. Only 10 pieces are available.
Its one-minute flying tourbillon is equipped with a cylindrical hairspring, which beats in a concentric motion, resembling a beating heart. The hairspring has two Breguet curves that help reduce friction and improve isochronism.
Encased in 18-carat red gold, this limited-edition timepiece measures 42mm in diameter. The meticulously skeletonized dial features roman numerals and H. Moser & Cie.’s signature fumé dial—presented here as a sub-dial—in the iconic Funky Blue colour.
The HMC 811 calibre—a self-winding, three-dimensional Manufacture movement—has been fully open-worked. The use of an automatic bi-directional pawl winding system, with a minimum power reserve of 74 hours, adds to the watch’s high precision and functionality.
Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline
An artistic variation of the BR 05, the new BR 05 Artline is a limited edition of 250 pieces. It references the stream-line style popular in industrial design during the 1930s, a trend characterised by very fluid lines that bring to mind speed and aerodynamics.
Breaking away from the rather stripped-down aesthetic typically favoured by Bell & Ross, this watch is slender yet ornate. The bezel with rounded corners, made in one single piece, is fixed to the case by means of four screws. Its gadroon decoration also adorns the central links of the bracelet, lending it contemporary elegance.
Drawing design cues from air travel and urban architecture, the dial is adorned with a sunburst ruthenium grey—never before used on a BR 05—resulting from metallisation. An in-house self-winding BR-CAL 321 calibre powers this timepiece, while the sapphire caseback allows you to contemplate the oscillating weight, which is reminiscent of a sports car rim.
Tudor Ranger
On 8th July 1952, members of the British North Greenland Expedition embarked on a two-year scientific mission to Greenland, wearing the Oyster Prince—Tudor’s first automatic and waterproof watch—on their wrist.
The new Tudor Ranger tool watch celebrates the 70th anniversary of this daring adventure with features designed for today’s urban explorers. Its 39mm case and the bracelet are satin-brushed for a matt finish, while the inner edge of the bezel is polished to strengthen the lines of the case.
Vintage watch enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that the grained, matt black domed dial features hour markers painted with grade A Swiss Super LumiNova luminescent material, in a throwback to Ranger watches from the 1960s. Another nostalgic detail is the arrow-shaped hands: rounded for the hours hand, and angular and tipped in burgundy for the seconds hand.
Looks aside, this Ranger is equipped with a robust Manufacture Calibre MT5402 certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), with a silicon balance spring and a 70-hour power reserve. It’s available in three bracelet options: olive green Jacquard fabric with red and beige stripes; hybrid rubber and leather; or 316L steel with the Tudor “T-fit” rapid adjustment clasp.
De Bethune DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite
Denis Flageollet, founder and Master Watchmaker of De Bethune, is passionate about meteorites—and it shows. Not the first De Bethune watch to be crafted from a meteorite and unlikely to be the last, the DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite’s dial is endowed with a metal alloy forged in space. Its azure shade results from the heat released by the chemical reactions of the heated meteorite, with a multitude of small white gold pins dotted across it to create a starry sky that is unique to each timepiece.
A Roman numeral hour circle and an Arabic numeral minute track adorn a silvered disc, complemented by hand-polished steel hands identical to those on the DB25 Starry Varius. The ultra-light polished titanium case is perfectly integrated with open-worked lugs.
The tourbillon of the DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite is just as extraordinary. Made of titanium and silicon with a frequency of 36,000 vibrations an hour—its 0.18g carriage is the lightest ever created in the industry—and spinning on its axis every 30 seconds, it comprises a total of 63 components (with the lightest weighing less than 0.0001 grams)!
This 42mm diameter watch is equipped with the mechanical manual-winding DB2109V4 calibre and precise jumping seconds display. The balance wheel, also visible on the back of the watch, is the latest and a result of De Bethune’s constant physical and mathematical approach. Made of titanium, it’s equipped with small white gold weights placed on the outside, giving it remarkable inertia, reliability and regulation. Only five pieces of the DB25 Starry Varius Aérolite will be produced every year.
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